Sometimes, bands that write crazy music are made up of perfectly normal guys who are friendly, rational and down to earth. And some folks who write nutty music are just plain bonkers. The jury’s still out on HORSE the Band, whose blend of videogame music, avant-jazz, hardcore and metal is so bizarre it’s pure genius. As for the bandmembers, well… We thought we’d put keyboardist Erik Engstrom to the test by giving him a guest blog, and, after some especially intense shock treatment, here’s what he came up with. It presents us with the perfect opportunity for us to state: the following thoughts and opinions do no necessarily coincide with those of the Headbangers Ball Blog, MTV, Viacom, or any mentally stable individual anywhere on this planet. Now, here’s Eric.
Censorship, illegal downloading, war… whatever. It’s all an afterthought.
What we face right now is the end of humanity as we know it, at the hands of technology. All the shit people are complaining about today will be the romantic memories of 100 years in the future (wars with explosives, funny presidents, terrorist attacks) That’s the kind of s–t we literally live for. Who doesn’t like to look back on the assassination of Lincoln with a glimmer in their eye, thinking about how cool that f—ing theater must have been. Who wishes the Civil War didn’t happen? It was awesome and people died for a cause and something better came out of it. We re-enact that s–t. Humans will always struggle and some will always try to do right. Right? So far we are generally prevailing against ourselves. Right? Ha-ha, sure. But guess what, it doesn’t matter. One thing we’ve never had is foresight, and right now we’re backing ourselves into a hole that we’ll never come out of.
The Singularity: the moment in time that an artificial intelligence is created that is more clever than the most clever human. Idiots like Ray Kurzweil look forward to this day. That is because they’re f—ing dumb.
Let’s think about it. In order for something to be “more clever” than us, it has to be able to do everything we can do (or at least some of us), and more. That is: think, imagine, learn from mistakes, perceive, act, etc. We are about 15 years from creating an artificial “brain” that will be able to perform these tasks (Research it. It’s true). Connect it to some arms and legs and clamps and eyes and you have a really cool robot (that is going to f—ing kill us 15 minutes after you plug it in). Check it out. Our brains are organic: slow and limited compared to circuitry. A computer brain can have practically infinite memory, processing power, speed, and storage. Once a computer that can learn by itself has been created, it will absorb all recorded human thought and output within minutes, understand it, critique it… all the problems of our days will be solved and trivialized within minutes. Science, math, philosophy, politics, will be like watching an episode of “The Hills.”
Our whole existence will be deemed frivolous at best, our epoch left in the dust. We will be wiped out, controlled and enslaved, or forgotten – a nanosecond novelty. In the blink of an eye, they will figure out a way to wipe out every last one of us. The game will change so hard, we won’t even be able to play it. And don’t give me any laws of robotics s–t. Those are flawed. It’s not like you follow the rules.
The only thing I know for sure is that we, as a species, are worthless, except to ourselves. We would be condemned immediately. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I mean, maybe we’re destroying the Earth, killing innocent people at an incredible rate, and fostering ignorance among an increasingly idle and isolated population of degenerates, but it makes for great conversation and even more moving art. ART! So f— the Singularity, and f— technology. F— virtual reality and eugenics and genetics and bioengineering. F— Bluetooth. F— extending youth. F— nanotechnology, I don’t need that right now girl. I need cancer and nuclear bombs and Afghanistan, but not any f—ing molecular robots that can fly into my ear one day and kill me from the inside out. That’s not cool. I don’t need a robot smarter than me. I want Roomba. I want a passionate, uncertain, romantic and organic lifestyle.
If you meet a computer programmer or a scientist on the street, throw his computer in the garbage. In conclusion, fight the Singularity or you will f—ing die.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptIt presents us with the perfect opportunity for us to state: the following thoughts and opinions do no necessarily coincide with those of the Headbangers Ball Blog, MTV, Viacom, or any mentally stable individual anywhere on this planet. … [...]
October 27th, 2007 at 11:42 am
jump with the joy of fresh laundry!
October 27th, 2007 at 11:42 am
hes right
October 27th, 2007 at 11:45 am
he’s definattttelly right. i love horse the band.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:46 am
i fxcking agree with you man technolgy is getting so revolutionalized these days, pretty soon theyll have robots doing everything and humans will lo longer have jobs and then were just gonna have to destroy the robot race.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:46 am
i feel so informed, lets fight this menace
October 27th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Horse is an amazing band.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:49 am
So true, Erik. So true.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:49 am
ye dis truth
October 27th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Makes total sense.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:49 am
more than likely Steve Jobs will be behind the future creation of the iDeth 5000 robot
October 27th, 2007 at 11:50 am
1.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:51 am
let’s all get an iphone!
October 27th, 2007 at 11:52 am
OMFG. its like the secrets of the world were just put in the palm of my hand. destroy. destroy. destroy.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Wait, is he the keyboardist in a band or a ?*#~*~ philosophy teacher.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:54 am
pocket vaginas from the muse 2003!!
October 27th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Start killing scientists! Now!!!
October 27th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Baby Horse
October 27th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
I think hes on to something…
October 27th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
So incredibly true. One day, we will create our demise. It’s been set in stone for as long as anyone can remember. It’s only proper that creation destroys creator, as he is playing God. And regardless of religion, or none at all. No one has the right to govern a life. Artificial or organic, it is of free will.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
There are many things that agree with in here but the few that I do not make me think even more. . . .Like you said The Laws of robotics are a crock of *@$$, but is there not a happy medium where we keep AI dumber than Humans and exploit them for all of their mindless obedience. . .
October 27th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
%@$* digital… go analog baby! Analog #~?? can’t kill you either
October 27th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
lol right on but when we kill them we have to make it messy and slow that way they can tell we are not fsking around
October 27th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Consequences Be Damned!
October 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
That’s sad that this is headbangers ball. It’s supposed to be metal. And all the curse words you type get censored…. So very lame, I miss the days when metal and punk were supposed to offend
October 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
The unfortunate truth on this matter is that it is, in fact, the truth. This isn’t some deep methodical bulls-t somebody wrote to seem smart and get all the ladies: this is fact, and it is undeniable. Looking at the human race now compared to it 10 years ago is already enough to light our road into the future: in a ten year period we established some 40 new majors, including Nanotechnology, biochemical engineering, and many other things involving technology and engineering of some kind. With such a high rate of development combined with the increasing interest kids have towards college, tech, and sciences, we will be at the end of the road in a few years. And by “the end of the road”, I mean the American Dream: humanity as an obsolete factor. We as humans can’t wait to be served by robots in the future: it’s an extension to the American Dream as we know it. However, if these people had watched any movie about robots at all, they’d know that within 10 minutes robots have us bent over and are f-king us into submission, killing our children, and making us their slaves.
This topic should definitely be discussed, because f-king with science means f-king with natural selection, f-king with intelligent design, and f-king with us. Morality in science is a topic that isn’t so widely discussed anymore…
good topic, you should make a documentary for theaters: it would rule and get the information out there.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I share this very fear. Technology is getting a little out of hand. If those people who create all of those gagets put HALF as much time in to something with substance, something that would benifit us as human beings, maybe we would be in a better place than where we are. Bees are dying and we need them to survive. A lot of states are suffering from the worst water shortages on record, and water is pretty important to our survival. Why aren’t these “smart” people doing anything about THESE problems? No, they can’t be bothered, they are too busy fitting every form of entertainment and technology into something that can fit in the palm of your hand. Very well said Erik.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
The Mechanic God creations will rise to destroy us all. What we so ignorantly created to protect and serve us will annihilate and enslave us. This man is a genius and a prophet…let it be known.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I think that day is already here. Even my microwave is more intelligent than some people I’ve met. At least it knows what time it is.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
The End Is Coming…
And they have a plan:
http://www.endgamethemovie.com/
October 27th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
well interestin blog you got there napoleon. i bet all these kids that commented only got 11% of what you said. im more woried about the 2012 apocalypse haha anyways whats up w/ the new cd? its all about squeals and breakdowns now. your *$$~ aint nintendocore anymore its getting more metal and mainstream. the mechanical hand was wayy better and more original.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Hes right, but wait? Dosent David have a BA Robotics? Sooo…does that mean you should slap the laptop out of his lap next time he gets on myspace or something?
October 27th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I agree with everything he has to say its all freakin true
plus freedom is boring
October 27th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
yes, technology has become a ridiculous necessity. and we’re advancing at such a rapid rate its almost scary, but in all seriousness- whats not to dig about artificial intelligence? except for the fact that when they are created they’ll be too ritzy, and have not enough style. they’ll probably wear sweaters with wolves lying down in snow on them. or eagles flying with an american flag photo shopped flawlessly behind it.
you’ve mentioned a computer brain as having infinite memory, speed, so on and so forth when really anything run by energy technically HAS to have its end or breaking point does it not?
http://www.myspace.com/www_myspacecom
October 27th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
i agree tottaly and yet i cant help but notice the fact that we are all using the internet… yet another form of brainwash that sucks the life out of mankind everyday…is it really possible to escape technology? koodos erik, but i have to say that stating all of that was rather irelevant due to the fact that regardless of wether or not a robot kills or not doesnt matter because in the end we will kill ourselves, the one thing u can be sure of is man’s inhumanity to man, but never the less koodos
October 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Reading this reminds me of Terminator.Or in a way at least.
i dont think in terminator though there were really small robots that could fly into your ear and kill you from the inside out.
When these “robots” are eventually created everyone is going to have to watch behind there backs.
It’ll be armageddon.
See these computer programers(or whatever)are so obsessed in making something so advance that it can control itself.
about the closest thing i think has been that honda robot..ozimo or something?
but still thats just the first step.
Right now it takes like 4 hours to charge him to be alive for 30 minutes..thank god.
At least i can sleep sound at night knowing the only kind of robot is only alive for less than an hour.but just think about what else will be coming out in 15 years or whatever.
robots that can walk around.robots that have feelings(that would be a disaster).robots that can even hold up a normal conversation.
damn.the more i think about it makes me wanna fly over to china and find all those ozimos and destroy them.
kinda like Terminator in way again.
if here is any hope for survival for our species we are going to have to like..do everything on our own and not try to make a killing machine thatll be smarter than the smartest person on earth.
..lol robots.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Wait a minute!
It may have already begun!
At the hands of Michael Jackson!
In Vegas!
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/r_m/2007/03/26/2007-03-26_jacko_looks_for_a_jackpot_in_vegas_with_.html
Holy crap!
October 27th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Lord Gold is right. The demise of humanity is eminent and we have noone to blame but society and it’s need to “make things easier”
October 27th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
firstly, why does it have to be gray text on a black background???? its so %%?#~#* hard to read!!! i did end up reading it tho, as there were some interesting points. is there any chance you will comment back dude? cuz most of the stuff i have to say is questions….well here goes. are you saying that excessive technology breeds anti-socialites? with the extreme end of that being an individual attempting to create a completely non-individual “intelligent” being? ….i cant seem to get my ideas flowin….i guess im not a robot lol. this line really stuck with me: “The only thing I know for sure is that we, as a species, are worthless, except to ourselves.” Pretty profound statement right there. If we did create an intelligent robot, they certainly wouldn’t need to rely on us…a now “inferior” class of being. But we (some of us) would still rely on them…i mean, wouldnt that be the whole idea? and what would stop them from cutting us down after we tried to tell them to walk the dog 43 times? nobody likes to walk the dog lol….or be told what to do. i guess making a robot smarter than us would be like helping somebody competing against you…or rather, voluntarily creating a disadvantage for yourself….. i also liked what you said about life being organic and uncertain. where’s the fun in life if you cant be surprised once in a while, right? and maybe thats what some scientists are trying to do…that is, take out the uncertainty in life..maybe because they dont like it..or are afraid to try it…i dont know. i think tho that you must be half kidding on some of this stuff, because it is a tad hypocritical if you are not. i mean…i do like some aspects of technology…guitars, guitar amps, microwaves, recording studios….cars aren’t bad….thats why i used the word “excessive” earlier. so if ur not too busy being in a cool band than write me back bro..id like to know what you thought of what i said. and sorry for the disjoiuntedness of thoughts…cantg help it. but umm, i gotta go…theres a robot knocking at my door that says he wants to walk my dog for me…..
October 27th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
I’m happy to say you are one of the few people in this world that has a brain and puts it to proper use.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
HORSE are amazing .. good blog
October 27th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
That’s why we have Arnold Schwarzenegger.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Most of what’s being said makes complete sense, but you’re all missing the bigger threat. Cthulhu. When the stars are right (2012…look it up), Mighty Cthulhu will rise from his icy abyss and devour our race.
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
October 27th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
the answer lies in genetic engineering. we must develop new species en mass that can be used to fight robotic, while maintaining the fallability of an organic system. we won’t be able to stop the technological revolution as we have already kick started the ball into motion, and given the telescoping nature of time, it will most likely come to fruition sooner than anyone expects. we must step it up and capitalize on specific strengths of an organic system. imagine a batallion of bear sized babboons fighting off the robot horde. we can control them through chemical addiction (this is already being beta-tested. sea world is owned by anheiser-busch. imagine the destructive capacity of a pod of drunken killer whales.) instead of worrying about endangered species, we could just replace them with new ones. we’ve been forcing evolution since our species first started killing. let’s get it back on track.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Humans from day one have done nothing but reach our end faster than any creature ever put on this planet.
Id say we are more of a parasite.We live off the earth until it has nothing left to give. and what happens to a parasite when its host dies? IT DIES…we kill what we get and PLUNDER what we encouter. At least with the robots. the world would be a much softer place …
October 27th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Champagne and kudos to those who oppress with shiny things. Though you don’t feel the threat of the circular dust collecting device twirling around the room tickling your toes, it too will one day thirst for blood, your blood. Doomed we be, doomed we all be, DOOOOOMMMMMMED
October 27th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Lord Gold needs AA
or should at least share his booze ooze
anyway
go HTB
October 27th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
True, Cthulhu’s going to wipe us out in like five years anyway, effectively solving the robot problem, if you look at it the right way. Pretty good political stance, if you ask me. Maybe when he arises he should just run for office?
October 27th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
That was deep man. Props bro. Long live HTB!
October 27th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Interesting point. Is this why you guys use those old-school 8-bit sounds in your music?
I also like that I have to prove I’m not a robot by entering that security number… just to post this comment. Good work, MTV!